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What is our biggest need now?


Ramza86

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Great post and great question. You are asking a specific question that should be answered with a specific answer. We have a lot of need still in just about every position group so I don’t want to give my opinion or preference without giving it some great thought. Personally I would love to see the Bills get a blue chip DL at the #9 slot and I’m assuming when you ask what our greatest need is that you are also intending on it being addressed with our 1st pick in the draft wherever that may be. 

 

So based on that, and correct me if I’m wrong or interperting your question the wrong way I would have to look at this question or situation from Beane’s point of view. 

 

I would have to say based on the limited knowledge I have on our roster’s talents and abilities that we should build the lines until we are confidant that we have a great and superior DL and OL. I don’t think as of right now we do so these 2 areas are where I would concentrate on. 

 

Seeing that this is suppose to be a very deep defensive draft I think that with the right evaluation the Bills will be able to find good defensive help in the early rounds (1-3). I would keep in mind that we haven’t had a real QB since Jim Kelly. Seeing that the QB is the most important chess piece on the board and the most elusive to fulfill then that aspect alone would make the decision even more decisive to me. OL, to me, is the biggest need at this time. The Bills need a stud OT and if they can get one, whether it by via draft, trade or FA, then that should be their top priority. None of this works without Josh and the Bills better make sure that he stays upright. Add in the factor that in this draft there might be only a couple of blue chip OL in this draft. I could be wrong about this because I’m not a professional scout so I’m relying on our administration to get this right. 

 

If I’m somewhat accurate about our current players abilities and our biggest need is to be filled by drafting then imo I think that Florida’s OT Jawaan Taylor is the pick for us if the Bills deem him a stud at the OT position.

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8 hours ago, mjt328 said:

Biggest Needs: 

Tight End

3-Tech Defensive Tackle

 

Medium Needs:

Defensive End

Offensive Guard or Tackle

 

Depth/Looking to Future Needs:

Running Back

Strongside Linebacker

Wide Receiver

 

 

 

 

 

what he said

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8 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

It is shocking to me how few people understand our dire need for a great running back or two.

 

With that kind of thinking, do our eyes deceive us?  Was our running game NOT one of the most profound weaknesses on this team last year,  a main reason the Bills were not better, with the only good running done by Allen?

 

Don't say it will all fixed with a better offensive line as we cannot rely on that--McCoy, a very good, sometimes great player as a Bill almost never looked good--and that is not an exaggeration. He looked done.  I hope that is not the case, both for his sake and the Bills, but we can only go by what we saw--and what we saw was no longer a starting caliber NFL running back, and, if we believe what we saw, not even a backup caliber running back.

 

The Bills best get a running back or two--and early in the draft--or this will very likely be a major reason the Bills don't succeed this year.  Almost no team can do well, especially one led by a young quarterback. without a solid running game.  It makes the passing game better, the defense better, and is even more important with our climate.

 

Good running backs are not, no matter the silly common knowledge now, a dime a dozen.  See: the 2018 Buffalo Bills .  The Bills can not this clear and present, even dire need, go unadressed.

 

Even if running back was our biggest need, this is not the year to spend a high pick on one.  This is not a very good class.

Josh Jacobs is considered the best RB in this class by far, and most see him as a early-mid 2nd round pick.

After that, you have about 10-15 mid-round guys who nobody can agree on, and will likely start coming off the board between the late 2nd and 4th rounds.  So unless you are a huge fan of Jacobs, the sweet spot for RB is early on Day 3.

 

On top of that, many of us believe that most of LeSean McCoy's problems last year were due to the O-Line.  Nobody could have had success behind our blocking last season.  Especially not a RB who relies on elusiveness, and isn't great at breaking tackles.  Not Ezekiel Elliott.  Not Saquan Barkley.  Not Todd Gurley.  It was a total disaster.  Since Beane has focused heavily on fixing our O-Line (five free agents added), there is plenty of reason to be optimistic for the running game to recover next season.

 

If McCoy is truly done, then we simply put Frank Gore into the lineup.  Sure, Gore is not the long-term answer.  But he was still one of the NFL's best running backs last season and should still be very effective.  Running back isn't a position that needs grooming and development.  Most of the league's top runners played great as rookies.  So if we can get ONE good season out of either McCoy or Gore, we can plan on drafting a guy earlier in 2020 - hopefully with a better class of RBs available.

 

As a final point, I think many of us recognize the importance of having a Pro-Bowl workhouse running back is passing away.  The Patriots have been successful for years with a committee approach.  The Saints too.  The Chiefs and Steelers lost their top guys last season and never missed a beat.  Gurley was totally ineffective down the stretch, and the Rams still made the Super Bowl by plugging in a guy off the street.  The Giants immediately drafted/inserted a Top 5 guy into their lineup, and he made no impact on the team's record.

 

 

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, rayray808 said:

why does everyone think our defense has huge holes that we need to burn a #9 pick on it?

 

we literally had one of the worst offenses in modern history a few weeks into the season... we gotta go offense 

 

The only thing we have to do is pick the best football player available. That’s it. 

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37 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

 

As a final point, I think many of us recognize the importance of having a Pro-Bowl workhouse running back is passing away.  The Patriots have been successful for years with a committee approach.  The Saints too.  The Chiefs and Steelers lost their top guys last season and never missed a beat.  Gurley was totally ineffective down the stretch, and the Rams still made the Super Bowl by plugging in a guy off the street.  The Giants immediately drafted/inserted a Top 5 guy into their lineup, and he made no impact on the team's record.

 

 

Yup. If you have a good line and passing game, RB can be almost anyone. Some are better, and others like Barkley are spectacular, but over-paying for RB is a waste.

 

For 35 million, give me 3 top lineman and a decent vet RB instead of a top RB and 3 medium lineman. Every day.  

Edited by BeginnersMind
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17 hours ago, Ramza86 said:

Tackle? DT? DE?

 

I think we do need alot more bodies and talent on the defense life.

 I would have to agree. Build on the DL, and get another LB to take over for Lorenzo Alexander once he hangs up his cleats. They can't allow themselves to get so caught up in fixing the offense that they neglect building up on the defensive side of the ball

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10 hours ago, rayray808 said:

why does everyone think our defense has huge holes that we need to burn a #9 pick on it?

 

we literally had one of the worst offenses in modern history a few weeks into the season... we gotta go offense 

Its really on Josh Allen. I think 2nd round is a great round to add offensive receiving weapons. I also think OL and RB can filled 3rd-4th round. There will be an elite DL at 9.

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2 recent clues that the Bills may be more interested in finding an interior pass rusher:

  1. At the owner’s meetings McDermott's response to the impact Short had in Carolina for his team is one to remember distinctly should the Bills stand pat at ninth overall:

"Yeah that's big. That's really big. To be able to get pressure from the inside... you know, people would argue that there's ways to take away the edge rusher more than there is ways to take away the inside, the interior rusher, and I would probably agree. The ability to pressure an effective quarterback from the inside out is critical when you want to play good football on defense. So, you've got to make sure that you've got enough of those guys."

The Bills only have Phillips on a 1 year contract at this position and could really use some help there. McDermott values the three-technique defensive tackle role in his defense and there will be some available at the top of the draft (Williams, Oliver, Wilkins).

  1. Brandon Beane has spent time this week talking about the importance of winning your own division and thus paying most attention to the divisional opponents, especially the Patriots. Defensively, how have teams generally slowed down or disrupted the Patriots offense. It comes from getting pressure on Brady and generally from the interior. With edge rushers Brady has a better chance of stepping up in the pocket and deliver his quick strikes in 2 seconds or less. But interior pressure, can stop Brady from stepping up and disrupt the timing of his quick game. Finding an interior rusher like an Ed Oliver might be more valuable to the Bills because they are trying first and foremost to match up with the Patriots.

 

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ILB is a big need.  If Edmunds doesn't show significant progress in the run game, and at some point they decide to move him outside, they will need someone to step up to the plate.  Who is his current backup?

 

I'd spend a 4th round pick to address this.

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Blocking.

 

I know that I am a broken record but it is even more important now. We have a young, mega-talented quarterback. He needs protection and a better running game to properly develop and better blocking would provide both, along with increased time of possession.

 

 

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If we draft Jawaan Taylor with 1st pick, I predict we trade back for Jaylon Ferguson.

If we draft Oliver/Gary/Wilkins with our 1st pick, I predict we trade up for Chris Lindstrom.

Our 1st 2 picks will be offensive and defensive line I am guessing.  TE and RB are next up

 

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18 hours ago, Ramza86 said:

Tackle? DT? DE?

 

I think we do need alot more bodies and talent on the defense life.

 

 A good first step would be to create a chart of the starting units and rank each of those players from poor, fair, average, very good, exellent, and go from there.  

 

As of now Allen for better or worse is cemented in at the QB position and Morse who's probably above-average cemented at C.  Seems to me that all of the other offensive positions are up-for-grabs.  Dawkins will start but he's average.  

 

Foster, Beasley, Brown, and Jones will be around but none of them have proven to be above-average.  Gore and Shady, well, if you're living in the past they'll be great, otherwise there's major cause for concern there.  

 

Defensively the secondary is good enough, Edmunds is cemented at MLB, Milano's probably above-average, but otherwise the DL's bereft of A-iist talent in a big way and Lorax at 36 was decent last season but has been very inconsistent during his stint with us.  As well, he's a band-aid fix as he's likely retiring after the season, so he serves no long-term purpose.  

 

Of the six first picks on last year's draft thru round 5 four were defensive with only Allen and Teller being offensive, and Teller was the last of those six drafted towards the end of the 5th.  Seems to me that they have to reverse that this season and go O-heavy in a similar manner. 

 

After all, the recurrent theme seems to be "giving Allen the tools that he needs," which isn't going to be helped by drafting defenders.  

Edited by TaskersGhost
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